Week 3 vs Bengals.

[PackerFlatLander]

Yep keep the first and get another Bulaga or Sherrod for the O-line. TTs 2 first round O-line picks haven't panned out.

Uh, not to be Negative Nelly, but ... his two 1st round o-line picks haven't panned out? Other than Josh Sitton and maybe Brian Bulaga (and that's being generous) ... NONE of TT's o-line picks have panned out, since 2005! None. Every one of the zone blocking scheme prototypes he drafted have been garbage. Barbre, Moll, Colledge, Spitz, the list goes on and on and on. They won a Super Bowl in spite of TT's o-line drafting. I mean, that's cool and all, but let's look at the big picture here. It's not pretty.

 

[7thFloorRA]

I know they have won a ton of games using it or in spite of it but why did a predominantly passing team marry itself to the zone blocking scheme to begin with? MM was at San Fran and NO and I do not think either of them used it. This was a denver thing I thought.

 

[HyponGrey]

Our rookie LT isn't half bad. I told you guys Barclay was flatly untalented. I also said EDS was putrid and needed to make better linecalls. Nick and Burnett may have been the best Safety tandem in the league today had Nick not gone down. Tramon is not that bad. Thomas is going nowhere. Draft and development isn't the problem, the staff's blind faith/loyalty is.

Tough loss today, fellas. The Bengals' D needs to be given credit. Quite frankly, I am worried about Rodgers. I'm done being quiet and sugarcoating this, been doing it too long ... collectively as a group, this offensive line sucks. The Redskins' D is subpar. So, last week - it figures. Put this group against top-tier d-lines, and they get manhandled almost weekly.

I am NOT a Ted Thompson basher - I am a supporter of his and have been, since day one. But, his gambling sucks. He gambles way too much on the o-line and we're paying for it. Not good.

By drafting 2 first round Tackles, and a 4th rounder for insurance, for drafting Tretter to replace EDS? Your logic fails me. I see plenty of bet hedging there.

 

[PackerFlatLander]

I know they have won a ton of games using it or in spite of it but why did a predominantly passing team marry itself to the zone blocking scheme to begin with? MM was at San Fran and NO and I do not think either of them used it. This was a denver thing I thought.

Correct. In the mid-late 90's, Denver's o-line coach was a guy named Alex Gibbs. He created the ZBS - it is predicated on having quick, fast on their feet o-linemen, who can trap and pull, then do these cut blocks, which, by the way, should be illegal. The thing is, Denver got lucky. They happened to have the exact perfect five guys up front to run it, along with Terrell Davis and had Elway as he was on his way out. Attempting to duplicate this, is just silly. Your o-line should be big, powerful guys, who can win the one-on-one's. ZBS linemen look like track stars who should be running hurdles and tossing javelins. I think it's a joke. But that's just my opinion.

 

[PackerFlatLander]

Our rookie LT isn't half bad. I told you guys Barclay was flatly untalented. I also said EDS was putrid and needed to make better linecalls. Nick and Burnett may have been the best Safety tandem in the league today had Nick not gone down. Tramon is not that bad. Thomas is going nowhere. Draft and development isn't the problem, the staff's blind faith/loyalty is.

By drafting 2 first round Tackles, and a 4th rounder for insurance, for drafting Tretter to replace EDS? Your logic fails me. I see plenty of bet hedging there.

Exactly!!! Uh, Tretter was not a 1st round pick. Again ... I like Ted Thompson a lot. BUT ... he is a terrible gambler. Terrible! The fact that he has never drafted a bonafide, franchise, all-pro caliber center, is a cardinal sin of being a GM. Scott Wells? 7th round pick and adequate, at best. Getting Jeff Saturday at 37 years old? A gamble and ... he lost. ED-S? Well ... it's too early for a verdict, but he clearly is a gamble. That's the difference between TT and Ron Wolf. Wolf drafted some clunkers in the 1st round, but he covered his bets in later rounds AND he used free agency, when the price was right and it helped the team. Robert Brooks out for the year in mid-'96. Wolf gets Andre Rison. TT would never do this. It wouldn't hurt to think outside the box once in a while, no?

 

[jaybadger82]

I am NOT a Ted Thompson basher - I am a supporter of his and have been, since day one. But, his gambling sucks. He gambles way too much on the o-line and we're paying for it. Not good.

Yeah- it's not "gambling" that bothers me about Ted, it's his rigid refusal to look outside the draft for personnel when injuries crop up or a pick misses.

Good teams build through the draft. That's understood. But good teams also supplement the roster through some select FAs. We eschew the latter to the point of just being obtuse. You can add FAs without destroying what is primarily a draft-and-develop system...

I disagree the run up the middle to Franklin was quite possibily the worst play call I have ever seen McCarthy make. Its almost as if he is stubborn, that he is going to show the world HIS offensive line can make a tough yard on a short yardage play. Everyone else knows this but him. That is so darn maddening.

Please save us the hyperbole and after-the-fact diatribes about what an obvious mistake that was. Crosby remains shaky and a made FG puts us up six points with plenty of time left for a Bengals offense that had found its groove, having torched us for a pair of touchdowns on its previous three possessions. Kicking a FG under those circumstances was playing not to lose. Going for it was playing to win the game. The disastrous consequences of that play are entirely on Franklin...

 

[longtimefan]

I'd offer a first and TRAMON!!

They wouldnt want him

 

[Crazy Packers Fan]

This is what I foresaw when I predicted an 8-8 finish for the Packers. The offense looked inept, the defense wasn't great, and special teams were a joke. It was embarrassing to have to walk out of Paul Brown Stadium with all the other Packers fans knowing that the Packers had blown it badly. One thing's for sure: Packers fans sure came out in droves for this one.

 

[12theTruth]

Deal. I'd do that, but giving up a 1st ... that's tough to do and I'm not even Ted Thompson.

Yeah- it's not "gambling" that bothers me about Ted, it's his rigid refusal to look outside the draft for personnel when injuries crop up or a pick misses.

Good teams build through the draft. That's understood. But good teams also supplement the roster through some select FAs. We eschew the latter to the point of just being obtuse. You can add FAs without destroying what is primarily a draft-and-develop system...



Please save us the hyperbole and after-the-fact diatribes about what an obvious mistake that was. Crosby remains shaky and a made FG puts us up six points with plenty of time left for a Bengals offense that had found its groove, having torched us for a pair of touchdowns on its previous three possessions. Kicking a FG under those circumstances was playing not to lose. Going for it was playing to win the game. The disastrous consequences of that play are entirely on Franklin...

After the fact diatribes.... Pffftt! You have a FG kicker for a reason. In what world have you lived the last 15 times the Packers run the ball needing less than one yard in a crucial situation like this have they actually made it running up the teeth. How many times have Kuhn, Green, Starks, etc., gotten stuffed when running into the teeth of the defense. Going for it was OK, the play selection was idiotic!

 

[PackerFlatLander]

After the fact diatribes.... Pffftt! You have a FG kicker for a reason. In what world have you lived the last 15 times the Packers run the ball needing less than one yard in a crucial situation like this have they actually made it running up the teeth. How many times have Kuhn, Green, Starks, etc., gotten stuffed when running into the teeth of the defense. Going for it was OK, the play selection was idiotic!

I have to agree - the play call sucked. I would have called for a Rodgers keeper and an end-around scamper to the left. That would have worked. Then again ... I'm just a fan, sitting at a bar and drinking a Guinness.

 

[jaybadger82]

Going for it was OK, the play selection was idiotic!

I think we can agree there.

 

[Rodgers in the House]

No way that was Franklins fault. All MM for calling the wrong play. He could've easily taken it around the corner with the way he was playing. Rodgers too. I don't even think Starks could've pulled that play off. Maybe Lacy.

 

[HyponGrey]

Exactly!!! Uh, Tretter was not a 1st round pick. Again ... I like Ted Thompson a lot. BUT ... he is a terrible gambler. Terrible! The fact that he has never drafted a bonafide, franchise, all-pro caliber center, is a cardinal sin of being a GM. Scott Wells? 7th round pick and adequate, at best. Getting Jeff Saturday at 37 years old? A gamble and ... he lost. ED-S? Well ... it's too early for a verdict, but he clearly is a gamble. That's the difference between TT and Ron Wolf. Wolf drafted some clunkers in the 1st round, but he covered his bets in later rounds AND he used free agency, when the price was right and it helped the team. Robert Brooks out for the year in mid-'96. Wolf gets Andre Rison. TT would never do this. It wouldn't hurt to think outside the box once in a while, no?

I call bull. Everyone and their mother was screaming about the DL and RB draft day. Not a soul had us taking a C in the 1st, and there wasn't a C worth taking then either. Actually C is a spot you can skate by with an adequate guy and still be fine, so I'm fine without a "franchise" guy there. In MM's fit it's a lot of brain though, and EDS is clearly not "adequate." He looked decent in limited action last year and Rodgers endorsed him, so I can understand giving the dice a roll too. TBH when we drafted Bakh I wasn't sure we weren't going to move him to C until we drafted Tretter. Wells was far better than adequate, look past the red. You'd think with all the failures we've had in FA people would be happy that TT stays out of it, knowing that he plainly isn't good at it. Nope. Let the scout stick to what he's actually good at. Name a TT FA not named Woodson, Kuhn, or Pickett that actually worked out.

Once again, TT didn't roll the dice willy nilly. He drafted a backup plan. It was injured. Besides, IIRC MM makes the cuts. Cutting all of your Centers sends a pretty strong message: They aren't good enough to make the roster, get me new ones. IMO cutting Lewis was a mistake.

 

[Dan115]

As great as that sounds, I am not interested in returning to the life of midnight feedings, diapers, and baby food. At least not until I am the one wearing the diapers....

As great as that sounds, I am not interested in returning to the life of midnight feedings, diapers, and baby food. At least not until I am the one wearing the diapers....

I agree with you. I said I got her pregnant. Then I went out the back Jack. Hoped a bus Gus. Left with the clothes on my back Sam. Set myself free in March. Now I am working on another young one.

 

[Chicocheese]

Lets not forget the poor performance of Rodgers in the 4th qtr. The man was given over 3 minutes and 2 timeouts to drive down the field and punch it in. It hurts me to say this, but he seemed wayyyyy off his game especially when it really counted. Sometimes he lools great in the 4th like he dd in 2011 @ NY or @ Det last season but this time he just looked off.

I can't put all of the blame on Rodgers though, the play calling was terrible at times. I mean, how many passes did the Bengals swat down? Clearly they know the quick WR screen in coming. Take a shot deep, Nelson will grab it if it is close. Run the ball, Franklin was having success. Anything but the quick pass to the flats that keep getting swatted. That 2nd INT didn't help either.

I hope we make some serious adjustments over the bye and come out swinging. The waythe Bears are playing we are going to need to go 13-3, maybe 12-4 to win the division.

 

[Luca]

Why not, exactly?

There have been many moments in great QB's careers, and I am thinking Elway, Montana, Marino, Favre, Eli where they were in a game that was ugly or didn't go their way, or was close for whatever reason, and they had one last chance to make up for all of it, and get a score at the end...... forget what happened prior to it. They had the ball in their hands late.

Something like a fourth quarter touchdown to seal a wildcard spot in 2010. That one was actually pretty important.

But honestly, I don't think that you can blame Rodgers for the final drives in Cincy (or San Fran). The final play failed because Bakthiari was beaten, not because of a bad throw.

Honestly, Rodgers made many mistakes yesterday: missing a wide open Quarless for a 1st down, missing an open Ross, throwing a rookie INT (the 2nd one, that is), missing a touchdown saving tackle (he or Cobb, could have saved our ***). But I didn't see any mistakes of Rodgers on the final drive.

 

[Oshkoshpackfan]

Rodgers is an exeptional QB, but a master of comebacks he is not. The broadcasters said he was 5 wins and 17 losses when it came to comebacks......that is pure pathetic. Looked to me like the WR's were not getting their usual seperation, or the bengals DB's were just that good and fast. I don't think we nailed one long ball all damn day. We also had a good case of the dropsies by the WR's. All in all, a terrible outting with turn overs and poor execution and MM poor play calling.

 

[Ceodore]

Rodgers is an exeptional QB, but a master of comebacks he is not. The broadcasters said he was 5 wins and 17 losses when it came to comebacks......that is pure pathetic. Looked to me like the WR's were not getting their usual seperation, or the bengals DB's were just that good and fast. I don't think we nailed one long ball all damn day. We also had a good case of the dropsies by the WR's. All in all, a terrible outting with turn overs and poor execution and MM poor play calling.

At the end there when his passes were getting batted down, it didn't seem like he was even looking at what was there before throwing. He basically just grabbed the ball and whipped it over there. I understand he was looking for the quick out so the guy could get OB, but it was just way too predictable (clearly). I didn't understand with 2 TO left why they didn't run it at least once to keep the D on their toes. We just don't seem like a very smart team so far this year.

 

[Forget Favre]

Well if thats the case then he should have went back in I would think. They desperately needed him in there.

Do you think that it demotivates the team?
Like when he is in there the defense wants to play harder because they see Clay's work ethic?
Or is he making key plays that really do decide the outcome of the game?
I really am curious to get your thoughts on this.

I think one of the key reasons why we lost was because that Packers player who fumbled the kick off.
If the Pack had the ball and didn't score on that possession and the rest of the game went the way it did we would have won.
I don't think a win or loss all comes down to just one player but that was a mistake that cost us the game.

 

[Forget Favre]

Rodgers is an exeptional QB, but a master of comebacks he is not. The broadcasters said he was 5 wins and 17 losses when it came to comebacks......that is pure pathetic.

The best comeback king in the modern era was Joe Montana.
I wish I was writing Air-Run Rodgers for that instead.

 

[Forget Favre]

The benglas have one of the better defenses in the league, not to mention a good q/b and one of the top 5 wr...

they arent a lower tier group

Then maybe I should have used the word "elite" instead.

If they win a SB or have an awesome winning season with this crew then I'll agree with you.

 

[Vltrophy]

The same group of refs that screwed us in week 1 screwed the Vikings in week 3 & cost them the game as well. Hope they don't ref anymore of our games ever ever ever

 

[HyponGrey]

I dare you to hang 5 games "failed" comebacks on Rodgers. That's a garbage stat. You win as a team, you lose as a team, and generally it was the defense that lost us the game the past 2 years. This is 1 game where Rodgers had a bad day against cover 2 without a TE or a RB with the opposing defense playing wide, deep and tight. If you NEED to find something wrong with Rodgers, the master of dump off passes he is not. SMGDH, for shame Pack fans.

 

[weeds]

Actually the Packers are one of the better teams in that category. I believe they were 4th. It's just going to show that when you give up 30 points it's tough to win. The best team has been the Colts, of course that was with Manning. And even they only won 33% of them. Next was the Patriots at 25%. So, when you let the other team score 30 points, it's tough to win. You wonder why the Packers or 1-2, it's the same reason the Vikings are 0-3. The defense is letting the other team score to much. The Packer have given up 88 points. That's just under 30(29.3) a game. Tough to win. Even with Rodgers. Last year the Titan gave up 29.435 points a game and won 4. Like the Vikings, the Packers defense needs to step up. BTW, when a team scores 29 points a game the winning percentage is .925. So you can put the blame were you want, most will put it on Rodgers. But they should be looking at the defense.

Did you know that no team in NFL history that was behind by 14, then ahead by 16 has ever lost in regulation?

 

[longtimefan]

He basically just grabbed the ball and whipped it over there. I understand he was looking for the quick out so the guy could get OB, but it was just way too predictable (clearly). .

According to jsonline, the pass would have been a 1st down to Jones